The Tudors : The Complete Story of England’s Most Notorious Dynasty is what I believe they call “history for the general reader.” The book reads as if it were fiction, but it’s chock full of facts and stories on each member of the Tudor dynasty starting with Henry VII and ending with Elizabeth I. I [...]

Erik Larson has a proven record of chronicling history as it intersects with the lives of individuals, and his latest work is no exception. With his customary astuteness and storytelling aplomb, he describes the events that led up to the demise of the passenger liner Lusitania, which was torpedoed by a German U-Boat on May [...]

Although it might seem like establishing our national parks and wilderness areas was probably a bipartisan no brainer, it was not. In our modern world, there are people who are ambivalent about conservation but can you believe that long ago there were politicians and many wealthy people totally against conservation? I was astonished when I [...]

Chasing the White Dog by Max Watman When you think of moonshine, what do you think of? If you’re like me you think of some unwashed hillbilly with a long beard and a few teeth. He’s making and drinking alcohol so strong that it’s really undrinkable. Well, guess what? You (like me) have bought into [...]

A. Roger Ekirch’s Birthright is the true story of James Annesley who was the heir to many Irish and English estates and aristocratic titles in the 18th century. He was kidnapped at age 12 by an evil uncle, shipped to America, and sold as a servant. His father had died 6 months before and even [...]

19 Stars of Indiana: Exceptional Hoosier Women by Michael S. Maurer [920.72 M448N 2009]. Sometimes it’s great to read ‘close to home’ and I appreciated learning more about Indiana’s female leadership. Former Indiana Secretary of Commerce and Indiana Business Journal columnist, Michael Maurer clearly knows how to write inspiring biography. All of the women in [...]

The last campaign : Robert F. Kennedy and 82 days that inspired America by Thurston Clarke This book was an uplifting and inspirational read about a campaign that took place during one of the most turbulent years in American history. There is a sadness and foreboding throughout the text, but the author also relays a [...]